Alma 29:9

"I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yeah, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy."

Alma 29:9

Monday, November 21, 2016

The brightest Starr in all the land!

Hey hey hey fam bam!!

This week was a whirlwind. Let me hit on the highlights...or bigger things...

Miracles happened, but not in ways I would have expected. Last week was insane and we didn't get to weekly plan. So we did a bunch on Tuesday. But it all worked out the way it was supposed to and God was able to use us and put us exactly where He needed us to be.

Wednesday was a hard day. Mike and Chris had to put down their dog, Jackson a day earlier than they thought they would. Aside from the missionaries who served here, he has been their child for the eight years they have had him. His heath had gotten worse, with his back legs paralyzed and a mass growing in his head. It was so sad. We planned some time to take them a card and some flowers to be there for them. They were so appreciative and it was so good to be there on a hard day. We helped them with their leaves and it felt amazing to help them because they do SO much for us. I love them both dearly and admire them for being the two most selfless people I have ever met.

We went on exchanges with the Monongahela (try to pronounce that ha ha ;)) sisters. I finally got to go on an exchange with Sister Belnap...after three transfers of serving around her. She is amazing!! Sister Simpson trained her (go figure) and it was so good to get to know her better and work with her. I feel so incredibly blessed to get to serve around and work with so many sisters--I learn so much from each of them and I love them so much!!

We had an amazing lesson with Sister Snodgrass--we went in there thinking we were going to teach one thing, but the Spirit whispered, "read 3 Nephi 11 and talk about prayer"...so we did! And the Spirit was so strong. I was able to testify of Christ's love for her and share my story with her as well. We talked and testified of prayer, which was exactly what she needed because that's something she has been struggling with lately. It's amazing though, because she's noticed a change in herself since the sisters started meeting with her, and she's able to feel the Spirit with us there and learn a lot in that setting. It's amazing watching the Savior change her heart because she's willing to make changes to come closer to Him. If she keeps coming to church this month, she should be reactivated by the end, which is so exciting!!

We also had a lesson with Sister Starr (Tonya, aka the brightest Starr in all the land ;)). It was so good! Before we even began the lesson, she said, "So, I was reading over the pamphlet, and I was just thinking, what is God preparing us for?" Can you say #GOLDEN we told her we could answer that and jumped right in and said a prayer to get started. It was such a good lesson and the Spirit was definitely there. We showed her a list of commonly asked questions, and she picked "Why do bad things happen to good people? Why does God allow suffering to occur?" so we turned to the references and read. Her questions throughout were so good and she is sincerely wanting to learn, feel the Spirit and grow closer to the Lord. Also, the meeting with Elder Stevenson was wonderful for her and she totally felt the Spirit as he spoke. How awesome is that?! The Spirit is working in her life and bringing her heart closer to the Savior. It is so beautiful to be able to witness it.

I would say one of the biggest lessons I've learned this week or have been reminded of is that Heavenly Father knows each of us so well. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. It is so prideful to think that we know what we need and we know what's best for us, because that is so not the case. He knows best, and we have to trust Him. "God knows what is best for us. Although we may not understand why we experience some things now, in His timetable we will know and be grateful" (Richard G. Scott).

I hope you have a beautiful Thanksgiving week and remember all that your merciful Heavenly Father and Savior have blessed you with. Also. Remember who you are and that a sister missionary in Pennsylvania loves you!!